Styx shook her head gently and brought both her hands down to her daughter's shoulders. “But you will not be without me. Though I cannot always be up here with you in the physical, part of me is always with you -all of you. All you have to do is call for me.” Softer words than she had spoken in quite a long time. Many expected Hate to be hard and cruel, but she was a mother. She was a mother who loved her children with every part of herself, and loved them just as fiercely as she was able to hate anyone else.
“It will get better, for all of us.” Her hand went up to Nike's chin and nudged it slightly. “You have each other. I....” Styx's voice dropped to a whisper, “your Aunt Lottie has been quite persistent at trying to help, and is mildly succeeding, but don't tell her I said that or she will be insufferable.”